Back in 2012, I got to try out the Boosted Boards electric skateboard and was really impressed by it. I ended up ordering one but due to unforeseen circumstances, delivery was delayed. After roughly 17 months of waiting, it’s finally here. Check out the video below where I unbox the board and did a bit of testing with the help of my kids.

My initial thought was that the board was much heavier than the prototype I tested. I remember picking up the prototype and thinking, “Wow, this is light!” I didn’t feel that way about the production Boosted Board. While it’s only around 16 lbs, it’s still significantly heavier than the prototype. That being said, it’s not that big of an issue now that I’ve tested it for a couple weeks. I first tried it in the slow mode. Meh. It was slow but allowed me to get comfortable. Then I pushed the button on the controller three times and it changed to fast mode. “HOLY XXXX!” The board flies.

In fast mode the Boosted Board goes faster than I feel comfortable going on asphalt with no protective gear other than a helmet. I’ll admit I’m a bit cautious after my brilliant attempt to learn how to drop in the side of Pipeline skatepark here in Hawaii and promptly fell 6 feet backwards onto my wrist and tore my rotator cuff off the bone and my bicep and chest were cabbage too. That took 7 months to heal and I don’t want to relive it. The Boosted Board for me has enough power and then some. For those that bomb hills and go super fast, they may not be as thrilled but I think that for the majority of the riders it will be just fine.

The thing that impressed me the most was the hill climbing and braking ability. My old 60 lbs electric skateboard also had good torque, hill climbing ability and brakes but it didn’t turn well and was super high off the ground. The Boosted Board feels and rides like a Loaded longboard, flex and all. It goes up hills easily and I find that I don’t need to use the brake that much. This is good and bad. The board’s wheels aren’t as free spinning as a normal skateboard or even the Evolve that I have. Just pressing the trigger and not the toggle wheel slows it down substantially. That’s one thing that can be improved. I weigh 220 lbs currently and it takes me up pretty steep hills. I don’t know if I’d say it does it with no problem because it’s working hard but it gets the job done.

This board is also super fun in slow mode for my kids. They are enjoying it a lot. My second son has a fractured foot and is in a boot so this makes it really easy to transport him around in areas he would normally have to walk pretty far. It’s also perfect for the park when we need to park far away.

The Boosted Board is now $1299 and still has a wait list. It’s pricey but if you can afford it I think you won’t regret getting one. So far it’s super fun and I’m enjoying it.

(click thumbnail to launch video)

My kids trying out the Boosted Boards electric skateboard

Here’s a comparison video of the Boosted board with another electric skateboard, the Evolve “Pintail”.

(click thumbnail to launch video)

When people ask if I like the Boosted Board better or the Evolve I say it depends on for what. Here’s my breakdown:

Weight: The Boosted is about 16 lbs and Evolve around 21 lbs. It’s noticeable when carrying it. I would prefer the Boosted prototype at 12 lbs but 16 is better than 21 in my opinion.

Range: Evolve has twice the range of the Boosted but for me that’s not an issue because I’m not using it for long commutes. I think the Evolve has roughly a 12 mile range and they claim an “up to 2 hour ride time” which I believe because I’ve ridden it before on multiple days over a two week span without charging it and it still had battery power. I also have the Evolve with the larger ABEC wheels and they roll really nicely. The Boosted Board claims 6 miles but I haven’t even gotten close to that amount yet. Both have regenerative batteries when braking so that can help.

Hill Climbing: Evolve can go up slight hills but that’s about it. The motor feels like it’s set more for higher speeds than for low end torque. Boosted goes up steeper hills and I’m heavy so a light rider should have no issue.

Braking: The Evolve has a brake but it doesn’t do much. It slows you down a little bit so if you need brakes and are going down hills then you better learn how to foot brake or walk. The Boosted Board brakes really well. In fact, I have to be careful because if I’m in high speed mode and yank the toggle wheel back quickly, it feels like I hit a curb and will fly off the front. Boosted can handle steep declines but I’m a bit cautious on those because if the bluetooth connection drops or something happens I’ll be on my butt instantly and don’t want to hit my head.

Acceleration: Evolve accelerates nicely on flat terrain. It’s also a smoother acceleration. Boosted accelerates quickly and feels like riding a remote control car. It can take off and fly you off the back. Both are good enough in this area.

Ride: Evolve’s pintail gives a great snowboard like ride. The large ABEC wheels eat up the small cracks and it rides smooth. Evolve also glides nicely when not pressing the throttle. That’s probably why it has such a long range. It’s nice to get up to speed and let the board glide and pump and carve. The Evolve has no flex so it feels like riding a longboard surfboard with no give. It’s fun to nose ride as if I was on a wave. All in all the Evolve is fun and forgiving. The Boosted Board is also very smooth and lower to the ground so it has a different feel. It also has a nice flex because the battery and controller are on the ends. This gives a very natural feel. Super responsive and fun.

Noise: The Evolve is almost silent. On a quiet night or at the park you can’t hear the motor. The Boosted Board has a high pitched noise when accelerating. It’s not as loud as the prototype but it’s still noticeable.

Your have compared the wrong Evolve board with your review….the pintail is not made anymore as its been replaced by the Gen2 bamboo….complete new board. You should of compared to the carbon street or the Gen2. You have also missed the fact that evolve has a range of boards 4 in total for many different riders with many interchangeable wheel options and no drilling holes in wheels is required…..Your review is pretty shallow.

Thanks for your writeup. I’ve been cruising the nette trying to decide which company to go with. Based on your experiences and writeup I think I’m going with Evolve. You mentioned price is the same, but I’m seeing that boosted is almost double? Also their warranty period is half of Evolves at 3 months! That’s probably my biggest concern- My wife and I both ride electric bikes to work- we bought top of the line to avoid problems but have issues about every 3 months. Fortunately they came with 2 year warranties! What has the evolve been like reliability wise?

@Derek – I just found out that the people ordering after the kickstarter batch are now paying $1995. That’s pretty high. Mine was $1200. I am concerned what happens after the warranty since we can’t really fix anything ourselves. At least w/ Evolve I can fix things myself. The Evolve has been reliable so far although I don’t ride it as much because I need hill climbing and braking more than I need range.

@Btbp – The music is from Darin Leong at http://www.hawaiiguitar.com. I don’t think it’s exactly like longboard surfing but it feels a lot more like it than other boards I’ve ridden.

@Max – I compared the Boosted Board to what I have here in Hawaii to try, which is the pintail Evolve. Send a carbon street or Gen2 over and I’ll be happy to compare to that one. Seeing that you work for Evolve I can understand that you feel defensive but there’s really no reason to feel that way. This is just my opinion and you have a lot of promo videos to prove your points. Both boards have pros and cons and now that the price is higher on the Boosted it may move buyers in your direction. As someone that works with Evolve, I’m sure you can do a much more in depth and biased review to post up. It would probably be better if Jeff or Brian left a comment instead of you though. They have more class.

@Mark – Thanks for the feedback and info. I’m sure you will be happy with the Evolve. The carbon model looks really good.

Just picked up the Dual+, and though it’s as addictive as caramel corn, I began to wonder if there WERE comparable products – as a skater, I’ve just been waiting for the tech to catch up with the concept, well I’m GLAD I went with Boosted!

Having recently moved back into a hilly (but largely empty car-wise) neighborhood of LA, it feels like one big ski resort – the Boosted BOOKS up the steepest of hills for this 155 pound old surfer/skater guy (60 next year – skating 54 years and still skating parks) – so much fun! I’ve worn a helmet from the start (I got the Boosted a week ago!) and had to be reminded how harsh the asphalt can be – knee pads and a glove with a puck on my non-remote side! Good times – now THIS is the future I’ve been waiting for…where you don’t have to walk back up the damn hill!